In 1803 Odessa became the chief town of a separate municipal captaincy under Armand, duc de Richelieu, who developed its trade and importance. In 1824 it became the seat of the gov ernors of Novorossia (New Russia) and Bessarabia and, as a free port, became very prosperous. Railway communication with Kiev and Kharkov and with Jassy in Rumania was established in 1866. The free port was closed in 1859. The town successfully resisted a Turkish attack in 1876-77. A numerous floating popu lation began to be attracted, abundant work being available in years of good harvest, but unemployment became rife in years of bad harvest. Accommodation was insufficient and starving unemployed often took refuge in the catacombs extending under the town from which sandstone for building has been removed, not without danger of subsidence to the town. Fierce discontent prevailed and in the 1905 revolution the workers, supported by the insurrectionary battleship Potemkin, of the Black sea fleet, maintained barricade warfare against the military. The rising was suppressed, but broke out with renewed vigour in October of the same year and was again suppressed. Sanguinary pogroms followed, and 8o,000 inhabitants fled from the unfortunate city.
After the overthrow of the Kerenski government in October 1917, the Ukrainian Rada (Petlura) occupied the town. In Janu ary 1918 the Bolshevik workers of the town, aided by troops from the former Rumanian front and from the Black sea fleet expelled the followers of Petlura and proclaimed a Soviet republic. In mid-March German and Austro-Hungarian troops occupied the town, and later the Hetman government, installed under German protection, called in the Entente troops, who occupied the greater part of the town. The French fleet bombarded the wretched in habitants and French, Serbian, Polish and later Greek troops were landed. Eventually, however, a second Soviet government was set up in April 1919, but was overthrown by Denikin in August 1919. In February the Soviet finally captured the town.
During this disastrous period a third of the houses were de stroyed and numbers of the population were killed, while others fled into the surrounding villages. During 1921 and 1922 famine and famine diseases further devastated the town and lack of fuel caused the inhabitants to pull down many wooden buildings. But in 1923 conditions became somewhat easier and since then trade has slowly returned. Another difficulty, however, faced the town.
Formerly much of its trade came via the Dniester river and Akkerman (now Cetatea Alba) from Bessarabia and in the pres ent absence of diplomatic relations between Rumania and Russia, a state of armed neutrality exists on that river and trade is practically non-existent. However, in spite of all these adverse conditions, the population in 1926 had reached normal size and trade was flourishing. Housing presents a terrible problem in view of the destruction of the war years, and, though there has been some building and repair work undertaken, much remains to be done and many labourers are homeless, while others are crowded together in small rooms. The extensive Square of the Victims of the Revolution contains two huge common graves, in which are buried the victims of the street fighting, and a pyramid of rough stones has been erected over them. The harbour was considerably damaged by shell fire, and the grain elevators were destroyed; new elevators were erected in 1924• Industry.—In addition to its trading, port and shipbuilding activities Odessa has numerous industrial enterprises, amongst which the production of salt takes an important place. There are also glass, metal and brick works and factories for producing machinery, especially for agricultural purposes, and munitions, superphosphates, tin, cork, glue and oil from oleaginous seeds are produced. Recently introduced industries are the manufacture of cinematograph apparatus, of water gauges, of twine and of preserved foods. There is also an aeroplane factory and a regular air service has been established between Odessa and Kharkov, with intermediate stations at Poltavo and Zinovievsk. The water supply of the town is obtained from the Dniester river. The town has several theatres and museums. The former University of South Russia has been converted into a Technical institute, and there are Medical and Agricultural institutes, a State Public library and a Jewish Academical library. The medley of lan guages has encouraged the use of Esperanto and there is an Esperanto institute. There is a zoological garden, laid out chiefly for purposes of acclimatisation, and animals destined for the more severe conditions of the north are kept here for some time. The Bacteriological station was the first of its kind in Russia.